memeorandum: As Democrats seek to push through health bill, Obama reaches out to Republicans (Washington Post)

9:35 AM ET, March 3, 2010

Top Items:

Speaker Pelosi on Rangel: ‘I guess he is still chair of Ways and Means’ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday night told The Hill that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is still chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. — After huddling with Rangel for 45 minutes, Pelosi initially said …

Discussion: The Note, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Pajamas Media, Wall Street Journal, NY Daily News, Associated Press, Sister Toldjah, NewsReal Blog, Townhall.com, The Corner on National … and Left Coast Rebel

msnbc.com:

Rep. Rangel steps down from tax committee — Embattled Democrat takes ‘leave of absence’ amid ongoing ethics probe — WASHINGTON - After being admonished by an ethics panel for accepting corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that he will take a leave …

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, The Speakers Lobby, Washington Post, Politics Daily, YID With LID, Swampland, The Page, George's Bottom Line, Associated Press, TPMDC, The Moderate Voice and Pajamas Media

The Politico:

Rangel on the brink — Charlie Rangel is on the verge of losing his Ways and Means gavel - by choice or by force, permanently or temporarily - and is taking the night to review his options, according to Democratic insiders. — As he emerged Tuesday night from a meeting …

Discussion: Washington Post, Hotline On Call, The Note, Hot Air, Firedoglake, JammieWearingFool, Another Black Conservative, The Lonely Conservative and Sister Toldjah

New York Times:

Under Fire, Rangel Appears to Be Losing Grip of Committee — WASHINGTON — Caught in a swirl of ethics inquiries, Representative Charles B. Rangel, the dean of the New York Congressional delegation, appeared to be losing his grip on his powerful post as chairman of the tax-policy-writing Ways …

Discussion: Roll Call, Connecting.the.Dots, Taegan Goddard's … and Neptunus Lex

Hasani Gittens / NBC New York:

Rangel Giving Up the Gavel — Could step down as early as tonight — Harlem Democrat Charles Rangel now says he will step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, NBC News has learned. — He may make the move as early as tonight and Michigan Democratic …

Discussion: The Speakers Lobby, Michelle Malkin, NPR Blogs and Weasel Zippers

John Stanton / Roll Call:

Bunning Accepts Deal Allowing Benefits Bill to Advance — Under increasing pressure from Democrats and members of his own party, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) Tuesday night abandoned his one-man filibuster of a one-month extension to unemployment benefits and other programs.

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, MyDD, Firedoglake, Another Black Conservative, PoliBlog, Liberal Values, Gateway Pundit, TPMDC, Talking Points Memo, The Political Carnival, Sister Toldjah, Top of the Ticket and JammieWearingFool

Michael O'Brien / The Hill:

Bunning ends his one-man filibuster — Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) one-man filibuster ended on Tuesday. — Bunning agreed to stop blocking legislation to extend benefits and COBRA health plan subsidies to the unemployed after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

Discussion: The Politico and Open Left

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
G.O.P. Splits on Senator's Move to Block Benefits

John Stanton / Roll Call:
Democrats May Force All-Night Session

Discussion: The World Newser, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, Open Left, The Hill, The Moderate Voice, Right Pundits, The Lonely Conservative, No More Mister Nice Blog, Talking Points Memo, Taegan Goddard's …, The Note, Michelle Malkin, The Political Carnival, Hot Air and The Corner on National …

Jim Hoft / Gateway Pundit:
Media Ignores Bomb Threats at Senator Bunning's Offices

Discussion: GayPatriot, Sister Toldjah, Moonbattery, Pajamas Media and NewsBusters.org

Lexington Herald-Leader:
Bunning's callous grandstanding

Discussion: Hotline On Call, The Atlantic Online, MyDD, WataugaWatch, Daily Kos, Wonk Room and Arizona Daily Star

David Catanese / The Politico:

Perry trounces Hutchison in Texas — Gov. Rick Perry won a decisive victory over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Texas GOP primary for governor Tuesday night, bringing a bruising fight between two of the state's most popular Republicans to an anticlimactic conclusion.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Gateway Pundit and Scared Monkeys

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Rick Perry, Bill White win Texas primaries for governor — Gov. Rick Perry cruised to a victory tonight in a three-way Republican primary fight, crushing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and setting the stage for a run for a third full term this fall. — Hutchison conceded the race …

Discussion: Swing State Project

Wall Street Journal:

Perry Rolls to Victory in Texas Primary — DALLAS—Texas Governor Rick Perry rode a wave of anti-Washington sentiment to victory Tuesday in the hard-fought Republican gubernatorial primary, beating U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. — Notching what he described as a victory for American conservatism …

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Pajamas Media and Pundit & Pundette

Corrie MacLaggan / Austin American-Statesman:
Perry wins GOP nomination without a runoff

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

R.G. Ratcliffe / Houston Chronicle:
Perry to face showdown against White in November

Discussion: FrumForum

Ben Domenech / The New Ledger:
Why Rick Perry Won

Discussion: Dr. Melissa Clouthier

Jake Tapper / Political Punch:

President Obama to Say Democrats Will Use Reconciliation to Pass Senate Health Care Reform Fix, If Not Given Up or Down Vote — White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Gateway Pundit, The Politico, Washington Post, Pajamas Media, And So it Goes in Shreveport, CNN, The Hill, The Lonely Conservative, Wizbang, AMERICAblog News, Weasel Zippers, Conservatives4Palin.com and Slate

Washington Post:

As Democrats seek to push through health bill, Obama reaches out to Republicans — As Democrats on Capitol Hill prepared a risky effort to muscle sweeping health-care legislation to final passage, President Obama on Tuesday made a last gambit to split Republicans on the issue …

Discussion: Roll Call, The Plum Line, New York Times, USA Today, The New Republic, New York Times, Power Line and Wonk Room

The Huffington Post:
Ted Kaufman: Public Option Picks Up 34th Supporter

Discussion: Think Progress, TPMDC and Open Left

CBS News:

Romney Tells Letterman: Palin “Has a Rifle, You Know” — Posted by Brian Montopoli 5 comments - Share - - - Share - E-mail - Print - Font Likely 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appeared on CBS's “Late Show with David Letterman” Tuesday as part of his tour to promote his new book …

Discussion: Wilshire & Washington, Riehl World View, The Page, Conservatives4Palin.com and Wall Street Journal

The Note:
‘The View’ Couch Not So Cozy for Romney

Discussion: Eunomia, Ruby Slippers, Taylor Marsh and Hot Air

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
It's Jay Leno's new ‘Tonight Show’ starring Sarah Palin

Discussion: Liberal Values and Ruby Slippers

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
'Sarah Palin's primaries:' 55 party fights

Discussion: CNN, The Politico and The Atlantic Online

WBBM-TV:

Court Hears Second Amendment Debate On City Ban — Daley Defends Chicago's Gun Laws As Prohibition Comes Under Challenge — WASHINGTON (CBS) ― As they hear arguments in a case to against Chicago's nearly 30-year-old handgun ban, the U.S. Supreme Court appears willing …

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog and Don Surber

David G. Savage / Los Angeles Times:
Justices signal they're ready to make gun ownership a national right

Discussion: New York Times, Raw Story, The New Ledger, Hit & Run and Truthdig

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Analysis: 2d Amendment extension likely

Discussion: Betsy's Page, QandO, ACS Blog, The Moderate Voice, Althouse and CNN

NY Daily News:

Mortimer Zuckerman announces he will not run for the Senate — Daily News publisher Mortimer Zuckerman has announced he will not run for the Senate — The field in the battle for a New York Senate seat became a little clearer Tuesday when Mortimer B. Zuckerman announced he would not join the race.

Discussion: The Fix, MyDD, Ben Smith's Blog, Mediaite, Swampland, JammieWearingFool and Marist Poll

Josh Gerstein / Josh Gerstein's Blog:

Liz Cheney group accused of McCarthyism — My colleague Ben Smith has word this morning of a video from the Liz Cheney-backed group Keep America Safe questioning the loyalty of Justice Department attorneys who previously represented Guantanamo detainees. — The video provocatively calls …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, TPMMuckraker, The Lonely Conservative, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Hot Air, The Corner on National …, At-Largely, American Power, Gateway Pundit, The Daily Dish, Salon, Laura Rozen's Blog and Keep America Safe

Michael Shedlock / Mish's Global Economic …:

Governor Christie: “Time to Hold Hands and Jump Off the Cliff” - Chris Christie For President? — In an amazingly candid appraisal of the sorry state of affairs in New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie laid it on the line in a speech to about 200 mayors at the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Discussion: Moe_Lane's blog and Michelle Malkin

Sindya N. Bhanoo / Dot Earth:

Fuel Taxes Must Rise, Harvard Researchers Say — To meet the Obama administration's targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon. — To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent …

Discussion: QandO, Townhall.com, The Lonely Conservative and Weasel Zippers

Telegraph:

Taliban cave network found in Pakistan mountains — Pakistan's army has discovered a complex network of 156 caves used by the Taliban and al-Qaeda dug into rocky mountains close to the Afghan border. — The tunnels, which are thought to have been created over five to seven years …

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Weasel Zippers

James Risen / New York Times:

Interference Seen in Blackwater Inquiry — WASHINGTON — An official at the United States Embassy in Iraq has told federal prosecutors that he believes that State Department officials sought to block any serious investigation of the 2007 shooting episode in which Blackwater Worldwide security guards …

Christopher Hitchens / Slate:

Chile survived its huge earthquake relatively well. Iran would be a different story. — In his days on the staid old London Times of the 1930s, Claud Cockburn won an in-house competition for the most boring headline by coming up with “Small Earthquake in Chile: Not Many Dead.”

Discussion: Fausta's Blog and The Daily Dish